Sweet Home Emergency Ministries Helps Fill the Gaps

For the past 39 years, Sweet Home Emergency Ministries has served as a source of healthy food and assistance for those needing help in the Sweet Home area. Besides monthly food boxes, the ministry also offers a hot dinner three times a week; assistance with prescriptions, gasoline an necessary utilities; a clothes closet and hygiene items.

“We are here for the hungry and those in crisis situations in Sweet Home,” said Cindy Rice, program director. “We try to meet as many of their needs as we can. We are a completely volunteer-run organization, and all of our volunteers have a strong passion to serve the people of this community.”

For more than 10 years, Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital has supported the organization with Social Accountability grants to purchase milk for the food boxes. Because Samaritan’s grant covers the cost of milk for the year, SHEM is able to use other funds to purchase non-dairy, shelf-safe milk for those who can’t consume dairy products.

“Milk is essential: Young children need it for their development and older people need it for their bone health,” Rice said. “We are so grateful to Samaritan for their partnership because without it, we wouldn’t be able to offer milk to our clients.”

In 2018, Sweet Home Emergency Ministries:

  • Purchased 3,108 gallons and 914 half-gallons of milk with Samaritan funds
  • Distributed 4,468 emergency food boxes
  • Served 13,776 hot meals
  • Assisted 16,330 individuals with food, clothing, gasoline money and other help

Pictured: Program Director Cindy Rice

Other Partners Supporting Programs and Services for Healthy Families:

  • Coastal Range Food Bank
  • Corvallis Environmental Center
  • Food Share of Lincoln County
  • Lebanon Basic Services
  • Meals on Wheels
  • OSU Linus Pauling Healthy Youth Program
  • St. Vincent de Paul
  • Stone Soup Corvallis Inc.
  • Sweet Home School District
  • Vina Moses
  • Willamette Neighborhood Housing